A horrific road accident on the Bulawayo-Beitbridge highway has claimed two lives and left one person injured. The collision, involving an Irizar Mtethi bus and a Toyota Fortuner, occurred just after midnight on 19 December 2024 at the 227-kilometre peg near Makhado.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) report details a sequence of events that began with the bus striking a donkey.
“The ZRP confirms a fatal road traffic accident which occurred on 19/12/24 at around 0030 hours at the 227-kilometre peg along Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road, Makhado,” the ZRP statement read.
“Two people were killed while one person was injured when an Irizar Mtethi bus with two passengers on board hit a donkey. Subsequently, the bus veered off the road leading to a head-on collision with a Toyota Fortuner vehicle with one passenger on board.”
The impact of the collision was catastrophic, particularly for the Toyota Fortuner. Eyewitnesses arriving at the scene were left shocked by the devastation. “The Fortuner looks like it went under a tank,” one local resident, who lives near the accident site, commented, a sentiment echoed by the visual evidence.
Photographs show the Fortuner reduced to a mangled wreck; its roof, sides, and front end completely obliterated. Pieces of the vehicle were scattered across the nearby railway line, a grim testament to the force of the impact. The vehicle was barely recognisable, highlighting the immense destructive power of the collision.
In contrast, while the Irizar Mtethi bus also sustained significant damage to its front end – particularly the engine block and windscreen – a passer-by noted that “the rest of the bus seems intact, but the front end is unrecognisable.” This disparity in damage suggests the Toyota Fortuner bore the brunt of the impact.
The ZRP transported the bodies of the deceased to the Beitbridge Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examinations. The injured individual was also admitted to the same hospital for treatment. The identities of the victims have yet to be released pending notification of next of kin.
The accident has once again brought to the forefront the dangers posed by stray animals on major highways. A local resident, reflecting on the incident, expressed deep concern: “This is not the first time a donkey has caused a fatal accident in this area. Authorities need to address this issue urgently.”
